The proposed goals are: 1) Development of validated scales to estimate suicide risk over a short, intermediate and long time period. 2) Development and demonstration of an effective follow-up program for suicide prevention, applicable to a large population, with minimum input of professional personnel, facilities or funds. 3) Exploration of the suicide-prevention potentials of special group therapy specifically for depressed and suicidal persons, as compared with other treatment resources. The method involves identification of persons admitted to the in-patient services of five San Francisco Mental Health Centers. This high-risk population is divided into categories reflecting ability and willingness of subjects to accept assistance. Those subjects who decline help are divided randomly into two groups, one of which is followed with a systematic plan for follow-up contacts. The prevention influence of the follow-up program will be assessed, using the comparable group not followed as a control population. Data obtained on initial admission will be used to construct lethality scales, using follow-up information to refine and validate these instruments. Special group therapy for suicidal persons is being carried out, with a view toward determining the efficacy of this approach as compared with traditional treatment modalities. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES: Motto, J.: Suicide Prevention by Long-Term Contact. Proc Seventh International Congress for Suicide Prevention (Amsterdam, 1973), pp. 426-434. Amsterdam, Swets and Zeitlinger, 1975. Motto, J., Heilbron, D.: Validation of Scales for Estimation of Suicide Risk. In: Shneidman E: Suicidology - Current Developments. New York, Grune and Stratton. Publication scheduled May, 1976.